Nine Dawgs Selected To Athlon All-SEC Team
June 07, 2022 | Football, Joel Coleman
STARKVILLE – Athlon Sports has Mississippi State among the most talented teams in the Southeastern Conference headed into the upcoming season.
A total of nine Mississippi State football players have been chosen to the Athlon 2022 All-SEC Team. Only Alabama, Georgia, Texas A&M and Tennessee had more All-SEC selections than MSU.
Four offensive players, four defensive players and a special-teams performer made up the group of Bulldogs honored. The nine include Lideatrick Griffin as a kick returner, Jo'quavious Marks as an all-purpose player, cornerback Emmanuel Forbes, wide receiver Jaden Walley, quarterback Will Rogers, center LaQuinston Sharp, defensive lineman Jaden Crumedy and linebackers Jett Johnson and Tyrus Wheat.
Last season, Griffin quickly established himself as one of the country's most electric kick returners. He led the SEC and ranked inside the top five nationally with his 32.8 yards per return. He set the tone for his magnificent 2021 with a 100-yard return for a touchdown against N.C. State. It stood as just the fifth 100-yard return for a score in MSU history.
Whether on the ground or through the air, Marks has become a vital part of head coach Mike Leach's offense at State. Marks' 106 rushes and six touchdowns on the ground were both team highs for the Bulldogs in 2021. He also caught the second most passes on the team with 83 receptions for 502 yards and was second in kick return yardage with 231 yards.
Very few defensive backs in the nation can impact a game like Forbes. He enters his third season at MSU as the FBS active career leader in interceptions returned for a touchdown with three. He has eight total picks in his two years in maroon and white – a total that also puts him among the active career interceptions leaders in the SEC.
Walley is looking to build upon what has been a splendid early portion of his Mississippi State career. After being a Freshman All-SEC pass catcher in 2020, Walley followed that up last season with a campaign that saw him catch 55 passes for 628 yards and six touchdowns. He's the top returning MSU wide receiver in all three of those categories.
Rogers rewrote the State record book in his sophomore season last year. Among his accomplishments, the signal caller set the single-season school record for completions, passing yardage and touchdowns. He set numerous single-game records as well. Rogers enters the upcoming campaign as MSU's all-time leader in career completion percentage.
An unsung hero in the Leach Air Raid, Sharp is back at center for the Bulldogs in 2022. The veteran lineman was crucial to State's offensive success a season ago when he earned an SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week award following a victory over No. 12 Kentucky and was a part of Pro Football Focus' All-SEC honors.
Crumedy, Johnson and Wheat have become cornerstones of the first two levels of the State defense. Crumedy tied for the team lead in quarterback hurries from his defensive line spot last season. He finished the year with 20 tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss.
Johnson stood as the MSU leader in tackles in 2021. He had 87 total stops, including six tackles for loss. He also had an interception and a team-high two fumble recoveries.
Wheat stood as State's sack leader last season. He tallied 7.5 of them, while racking up 10.5 total tackles for loss – also a team best.
Mississippi State is set to begin the 2022 campaign on Saturday, September 3, when the Bulldogs host the Memphis Tigers in a 6:30 p.m. game at Davis Wade Stadium. Season tickets are on sale now at HailState.com/tickets, by calling 1-888-GO-DAWGS or in person at the MSU Athletic Ticket Office on the first floor of the Bryan Athletic Administration Building (288 Lakeview Drive).
For more information on the Bulldog football program, visit HailState.com, or search for "HailStateFB" on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
